Hidden

The Gorse Fox and Silver Vixen had lunch planned. We were to meet up with the Hobbit and the lovely Lynda, and another couple from the old Starfleet days. It would be a lovely chance to catch up. The trouble was that whilst we were ready to go, Jasper (the cat) had disappeared. The door had been left open, and he had gone walkabout. We checked all his known hiding places in the house and round the garden. He was gone. Time was getting on, we had to go. We locked the back of the house, but left the Orangery door open so he could get back in. We left him water in case he was thirsty. Bases were covered.

We headed out, and despite the delay, arrived at The Thomas Lord in West Meon right on time. We then proceeded to enjoy three hours of exquisite company, chat, humour, and reminiscences whilst devouring a superb meal. It was such a pleasure to catch up, particularly as the hobbit has now left the Shire and is living on the West Coast of the one of the old colonies. We ranged through the living, the dead, the various locations we had been with Starfleet, the pleasure of retirement, music, family, football, ownership of (and by) cats, and everything in between. It was a joy.

We headed home. As we opened the door, Jasper was sitting there. Now, as he doesn't have a) an opposable thumb, or b) his own key, one can only conclude that he was inside all along. The trouble is that he has obviously found a new hiding place that haven't yet discovered. GF thinks he need to implant a transponder so he can be tracked by NASA or failing that, an iPhone.